Two New Kodak Films in 2021?

Fun guessing game on the revival. I doubt it would be the warm/“vivid” variants of Portra and Ektachrome, and as much as I loved 320TXP, it’s probably too close to plain old Tri-X. My guess is Portra (Edit: Portra isn't gone, I'm thinking of Fuji dropping 160 a little while ago) or Plus-X. I would love to be surprised with a vintage emulsion discontinued long before I picked up a camera, though. Verichrome?

Maybe 220 spools to put all those film magazines back in service. Nah.

A decade ago I was very worried film would go the way of Polaroid pack film, or “alternative processes,” and only be an expensive, handmade boutique item (though Kudos to Mr Kapps et al for keeping them alive that way). Never would have guessed we’d be getting a revived slide film of all things.

Pandemic wise, glad to know they haven’t shut down entirely. Equally glad I didn’t know that Ilford did for a short time this summer, or I would have dumped my perishables and filled my freezer.
 
Bingley said:
Fingers crossed one of the films brought back is Plus-X. That would be awesome! I only have a few rolls left in my fridge, and it remains a favorite for an old school/1950s look.
Click to expand...

Plus-X and/or Verichrome Pan would put me in the Kodak camp for good. 🙂
 
If they release a new one it will be T-Max 3200 in 120.
As to the discontinued product, it would be nice to have a consumer film like Kodak Gold in 120.
2021 marks the celebration of 120 years of 120 film, so one more reason to release something in 120.
 
I skimmed the video and didn't catch that. There goes both my guesses (see my edit above).

Not going to be Kodachrome, for sure. More hope it's something older that hasn't existed in my photographic lifetime. Was Double-X offered as a stills film, and since it's still made as a cine stock, does that count as a revival? Now I'm just stumped.

Interesting mention of Gold in 120. I only recently found that it existed in larger formats, along with Kodak making vest-pocket (127) film into the 90s. Maybe they'll throw us for a loop and bring back 110.

Or Disc Film.
 
Yeah, I missed that too. With all the newish emulsions that Lomo has brought out (e.g. “Berlin,” “Potsdam,” etc.) there seems to be a market for bw films that attempt to capture, or recapture, a vintage look. Wondering whether Kodak would try to compete in that market.
 
Plus X was a fantastic film..so forgiving and gave great tonality in prints, it should be a regular standard in the world of B&W films that never should have went away.

I also have a soft spot for Panatomic X film...although it was a more specialised film than Plus X and not as broadband versatile but it did have that wonderful grain less tonality to it that was not equalled by other slow fine grained films . I shot a lot of it in the 1970s.
 
xayraa33 said:
Plus X was a fantastic film..so forgiving and gave great tonality in prints, it should be a regular standard in the world of B&W films that never should have went away.
...
Click to expand...

When asked about Plus-X, he (the Kodak Alaris rep.) specifically pointed to TMax 100 as today's improved Plus-X. He then said there are no immediate plans to re-introduce Plus-X, but that he could not rule it out forever.
 
Bingley said:
Yeah, I missed that too. With all the newish emulsions that Lomo has brought out (e.g. “Berlin,” “Potsdam,” etc.) there seems to be a market for bw films that attempt to capture, or recapture, a vintage look. Wondering whether Kodak would try to compete in that market.
Click to expand...

FWIW, there's a good chance that Lomo's Potsdam and Berlin emulsions are re-badged ORWO UN54 and N74+ (or maybe now the N75), respectively. Lomo's own developing guide for Lomography Berlin Kino 400, "Formula 2019" clearly shows FILMOTEC ORWO N74 in the edge markings. 🙄

1206x1216x1.jpg
 
Plus-X and Tri-X are much more to my liking than their TMAX “improvements”.

Tech Pan and HIE (High Speed Infrared) were two of my favorites, but probably too niche for them to re-introduce.
 
I'll never understand the nostalgic love for Plus-X. I used a bit of it at the end of its life - it's fine, but not particularly special compared to Ilford's FP4+, and certainly not better than T-Max 100. Personally I think it's the familiarity that one misses, rather than having to learn a new film - not the film itself. I use mostly T-Max and it's better by any metric - it's just a bit more temperamental and T-Max developer is a bear to use (Pyrocat, Acufine, Rodinal, and other developers tame it a bit easier).

Anyway, I wouldn't mind seeing Ektachrome VS come back but I've also kinda moved on from E-6, so a new color negative film would be interesting - something less portrait-biased but not ugly like Ektar. I can't stand Ektar's magenta-bias and extremely blue shadows. I wouldn't be surprised if they revived the "Kodachrome" brand but w/o the K-14 process. It's got brand recognition and appeal.
 
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